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Baines elected to Orioles Hall of Fame

Baines elected to O's Hall of Fame

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By Spencer Fordin
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MLB.com |

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Once again, Harold Baines is in a class of his own. The Orioles announced Tuesday that Baines had been elected to the team's Hall of Fame in recognition of a standout career. Baines spent parts of seven seasons with Baltimore, batting .301 with 107 home runs.

Baines, who spent the first decade of his career with the White Sox, finished with 2,866 hits, the 40th-highest total in the history of the game. The six-time All-Star batted .291 or higher in six of his seven seasons with Baltimore, and he reached double figures in home runs for an amazing 21 consecutive seasons.

Baines is the only player in Major League history to make at least 1,000 appearances as a designated hitter and 1,000 more at another position. Despite spending a brief portion of his career in Baltimore, Baines ranks among the team leaders in slugging (fourth, .502), batting average (fifth), home runs (17th) and RBIs (24th).

Baines, the first overall selection in the 1977 First-Year Player Draft, played all the way until the 2001 season, and he is now employed as a first-base coach with the White Sox. He is one of three players -- along with Elrod Hendricks and Dick Williams -- to have three separate stints as an Oriole, and all of them happened after Baines turned 33.

Baines' formal induction into the Orioles Hall of Fame will take place on Aug. 29 before Baltimore's game against Cleveland. Longtime club employee Julie Wagner will also be honored that night with the Herb Armstrong Award, which is given to non-uniform personnel who have made significant contributions to the team.

Spencer Fordin is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.